Comedy
Beef
Netflix’s newest show is well done, you might say. But Plugged In has a beef with some of its problems.
Hip-hop singer and rising movie star Eve (Barbershop) launched her own TV sitcom last fall on UPN. Eve follows the comedic exploits of an upwardly mobile woman named Shelly who, according to UPN, is “trying to navigate the exhilarating world of 21st century love, sex, romance and career.”
Lose “exhilarating” and put “sex” in bold type and that description applies. Everything Shelly and her Sex and the City-style girlfriends do involves sex. They have it. They giggle about it. They brag about their conquests. Providing much of the fodder for their bawdy tête-à-têtes is Jason George (The Climb) who stars as J.T., Shelly’s uninhibited, perpetually amorous, “booty-shaking” boyfriend.
In six episodes I encountered only one truly positive theme. It involves one of Shelly’s friends battling an eating disorder. Although the subject isn’t treated with the respect or depth it deserves, the girls do urge their friend to seek therapy so as not to slide too far into anorexia.
Aside from those few moments, not a minute goes by without Eve submerging itself in crude sexual innuendo, jokes and behavior (Shelly and J.T. frequently strip down to their skivvies as they tumble into bed together). It winks at homosexual affection, S&M fetishes and public intercourse. When J.T.’s mom walks in on her son getting “freaky” with Shelly, it’s her “antiquated” views of propriety that are deemed immoral, not the indiscretion. For a brief moment, J.T. worries about what his mom might be thinking, but his best friend scoffs at his conscience, saying, “You’re a momma’s boy. Spit out the breast milk and be a man.” Also, alcohol is omnipresent and characters routinely get drunk. Mild profanity crops up in every episode.
She may be depicted as old fashioned and stuffy, but J.T.’s mother provides the perfect summation of Eve: “When a man is looking for the kind of woman to bring home to his mother … well dear, let’s just say you’re not it.”
Episodes Reviewed: Nov. 17, 18, 24, Dec. 15, 2003
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
Netflix’s newest show is well done, you might say. But Plugged In has a beef with some of its problems.
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